AUSTRALIANS AT WAR

THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY is a compelling factual history of neoconservatism and its influence on US Foreign Policy in the Middle East during the first decade of the twenty-first century. Click on image above for details.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

THE CASE FOR AUSTRALIA DECLARING ITSELF A SOVEREIGN NEUTRAL NATION

Australia is a
Westernised nation that exists within the Asian sphere of influence. Despite
our geographic position, however, Australia has steadfastly clung to its
Western roots, first with Britain and latterly with the US. But with changing
times in a changing world it may be time to rethink our traditional and
outdated alliances and consider our position relative to our neighbours.

There has been a
massive socio-economic gap between us and many of our neighbours in the region
but now that gap is slowly getting narrower. There are also fundamental
societal differences including religion, work practices and familial values.
Yet, despite these differences, we have generally managed throughout our
history to have been seen as reasonably good neighbours even though there have
periodically been some bitter disputes in the past. However, given the way the
world is evolving in the twenty-first century one wonders if it may not be time
for Australia to consider cutting loose from our obsession with the somewhat
arrogant notion that we are a part of the concept of Western exceptionalism and
instead consider the possibility of becoming a declared neutral sovereign nation.

In doing so,
Australia does not have to shed any of the values that it shares with nations
that it has been closely associated with in the past, and nor does it need to retreat
from playing a role on the world stage. As a neutral nation, Australia would
merely realign its role in the world from one of being a co-belligerent with
past allies as they head off to their various wars against stereotyped enemies
as a result of being entangled with treaties signed to suit bygone eras, to one
of being a negotiator and arbitrator in the resolution of modern conflicts and
crises and a provider of humanitarian services.

Australia is in
unique position to adopt the role of an actively neutral nation. We are
essentially a Westernised nation with a strong multicultural foundation
geographically situated within the Pacific region dominated by a burgeoning
Asian economy consisting of competing Asian nations and markets. During stable
periods in the world Australia enjoys the best of what both the Western world
and the Asian world that is at our doorstep have to offer.

But the world of
the twenty-first century is changing.

America has
proclaimed itself the world’s only ‘superpower’. As such, many Americans see
their role as being policemen to the world. Unfortunately, this has progressed
to some of the more conservative members of American politics also seeing
themselves as not just being the world’s policemen but also self-righteously being
judge, jury and even executioner whenever trouble looms in places that are
within the orbit of what they believe is ‘America’s interest’.

While undoubtedly
there has been a time when America’s interests have also been Australia’s, the
big question for Australia in the twenty-first century is; are America’s
interests still unquestionably our interests as well? Sure, without the United
States, Australia would never have been able to beat back the Japanese in the
middle of the last century – but that was in the last century when total wars
dominated the era. Does Australia really have to tie itself to America’s apron
strings today because they helped us out during the last century?

In today’s world,
nations face different challenges. The ideology of American exceptionalism has
rubbed off on many Western nations who now see themselves as much more than
just ‘defenders of freedom and democracy’ around the globe. Not only do they
want to defend freedom and democracy but now they want to deliver it to those
who aren’t necessarily ready for it or even want it yet. And, in the case of
the Middle East and throughout much of Africa where the Islamic world
dominates, many nations like Iraq, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere have for the most
part shown their disdain of democracy, or at least, Western-style democracy. As
a result, the Western world now faces not only nations that are hostile to
America, but now also face non-state entities that are even more hostile toward
America and the West than some nations.

During the first
decade and a half of the twenty-first century Australia blindly followed
America’s whim and enjoined them in wars that were not in our interests and,
indeed, wars that were based on lies and deceit. These wars have cost Australia
much in both blood and treasure and even today there is still the prospect that
Australia will become embroiled in further conflict at the whim of the United
States.

In order to
continue our alliance with a West dominated by the US, Australia has committed
itself at great cost to building and purchasing military ships and aircraft
that are designed specifically, not so much to defend Australia, but rather to help
project American power into regions that may be theatres of conflict of the
future and that are beyond our immediate shores. In continuing to align
ourselves with American and other Western interests, Australia is alienating
many of our Asian neighbours and trading partners. Recently, for example, the
Australian government announced that it would no longer refer to Jerusalem as
‘occupied’ and instead refer to it as ‘disputed’. This effectively has Australia
at odds with international law and has in the process outraged many Muslim
nations both in the Middle East and in the Pacific region, and in particular
our nearest neighbour Indonesia, all of whom are customers of Australian
products and who are now considering trade sanctions against Australia.

Claiming neutrality,
as many nations have discovered throughout history, does not necessarily
protect one from attack and nor does it absolve one of their international humanitarian
obligations. Germany, for example, ignored Belgium’s neutrality during World
War One; the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in declaring their
neutrality in 1938 and 1939 did not stop them from being overrun by the Soviet
Union when World War Two got underway. And just latterly, while the situation
in Ukraine is historically complex, Ukraine’s neutrality did not stop Russia
from annexing the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. In short, neutrality will not
stop a more powerful country from attacking you if you have something they want
and have no other way of getting it.

For Australia,
however, there are plenty of goods and resources that others may want from us
but going to the expense of attacking us in order to get it would be
prohibitively expensive. It would be far cheaper to simply purchase that which
they want rather than raise an invading army to take what they want.

As an independent
neutral nation Australia needn’t withdraw into isolationism. Rather than
provide military resources to allies when it is not in our direct interests to,
Australia, instead, should provide humanitarian resources and services to
nations regardless of their alignment on the world stage.

In a world where
alliances of old no longer necessarily provide security for us or no longer
serve our best interests, it may well be time for Australia to have good long
hard think about the advantages of being an independent republic and declared
neutral sovereign state.

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About Me

is an Aeronautical Engineer, Historian and general carer of what goes on in the world.
Apart from an earlier career in engineering, Lataan also has a First Class Honours BA degree in History and a PhD in International Politics.
All material on this site is available for use without permission but it would be appreciated if the source is acknowledged.